MAN FORCES WAY INTO HOME, TIES UP AND ROBS 2

A gunman in a black skull mask forced his way into a Hillcrest home Thursday afternoon, tied up a man and woman and robbed them, San Diego police said.

The intruder got into the house on Brookes Avenue near Herbert Street and pointed a pistol at a man, forcing him into a bedroom, police Officer Frank Cali said.

Then the robber tied up the man and a female friend and shut them into the bathroom. The man suffered a small cut to his forehead during the incident.

The robber escaped with the woman’s purse, a cellphone and other electronics. Police were called about 2:25 p.m.

They described the robber as black, in his early 20s, 5 feet 8 inches tall, thin, and wearing a black shirt, black pants and black skull mask.

Pauline Repard • U-T

Carjacking suspect arrested after victim’s phone tracked

Mission Valley

A man suspected of carjacking a woman’s 2000 Jaguar at Fashion Valley mall on Wednesday night was arrested after officers traced him and the stolen car by using a cellphone app.

The woman was getting into her car about 8:15 p.m. near JC Penney when a man pointed a gun at her and said he was taking her car, San Diego police said.

He drove the Jaguar south on Fashion Valley Road.

The woman called 911 and told a sergeant who came to investigate that her purse containing her iPhone was in the car, said police Capt. Andy Mills.

The sergeant downloaded an app to locate iPhones onto his phone, and that enabled officers to track the car, Mills said.

A short time later, the Jaguar was found at Euclid Avenue and Guymon Street in the Chollas View area and a suspect was taken into custody. A pellet gun was found in the car, Mills said.

Susan Shroder & Debbi Baker • U-T

2 men rob adult video store, steal purse, kick customer

San Diego

Two men robbed an adult video store in Kearny Mesa Wednesday night and roughed up a customer.

The robbers walked into the back door of the Adult Emporium on Convoy Street north of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard about 9:40 p.m., San Diego police said.

One man pointed a gun at the clerk while the other stole a customer’s purse at knife point, police said. Another customer was pushed to the floor and kicked. Paramedics later evaluated him but did not take him to a hospital.

Debbi Baker • U-T

Former college student pleads guilty to rigging school vote

San Diego

A former CSU San Marcos student accused of stealing the identities and passwords of 745 students to rig campus elections pleaded guilty Thursday to three federal charges.

Matthew Weaver, 22, of Huntington Beach admitted to wire fraud, access-device fraud and unauthorized use of a computer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He made his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge William Gallo in San Diego federal court.

Weaver is scheduled to be sentenced June 17 by U.S. District Judge Larry Alan Burns. He faces 27 to 33 months in federal custody.

In March 2012, Weaver was one of two candidates running for president of Associated Students Inc., the campus’ student council, when the fraud was uncovered. The job pays $8,000 a year.

According to court documents, Weaver used a keylogger — a small electronic device that secretly records a computer user’s keystrokes — to steal student passwords. Weaver admitted to casting about 480 votes for himself and friends on the ballot.

Once the fraud was discovered, the student council threw out the election results and started from scratch.

School officials have said it was the largest identity theft case in the university’s 24-year history.